Human Encroachment and Vegetation Change in Isolated Forest Reserves: The Case of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda
نویسنده
چکیده
Human modification of ecosystems is threatening biodiversity on a global scale (Whitmore 1997; W. F.Laurance 1999; Nepstad et aL 1999b; Chapman and Peres 2001). This is illustrated by the fact that an estimated 65.1 million hectares of forest were destroyed between 1990 and 1995 (FAa 1999). Many other areas are affected by forest degradation that involves logging, fire, and hunting; as a result, many conservation efforts have focused on protected areas such as national parks and reserves. However, less than 5% of the world's tropical forests are legally protected from human exploitation, and many of these are subjected to illegal exploitation (Oates 1996; Peres and Lake 2003; Fagan et aL, chap. 22 in this volume). Given that a high rate of deforestation is occuring globally, and that the extent of protected areas is limited, it is important to understand how well such protected areas are protecting biodiversity. Recent analyses have shown that areas of outstanding conservation importance often coincide with dense human settlement or impact (Dobson et aL 1997; Balmford et aL 2001; Harcourt and Parks 2003). For example, Balmford et aL (2001) found that species richness of birds, mammals, snakes, and amphibians was positively correlated with human population density in sub-Saharan Africa. Furthermore, these trends held for widespread, narrowly endemic, and threatened species. Thus, it is likely that many important biodiversity conservation areas are experiencing intense pressures from adjacent dense human settlements. Given current rates of human population growth and patterns of migration,
منابع مشابه
People , park and plant use Recommendations for multiple - use zones and develop - ment alternatives around Bwindi Impenetrable National Park , Uganda A .
This series of working papers is intended to provide information and to generate fruitful discussion on key issues in the sustainable and equitable use of plant resources. This publication is based on a report prepared in 1992 for CARE-DTC. CARE's Development Through Conservation (DTC) project, initiated in 1988 under an agreement between USAID, WWF and CARE, has supported environmental conserv...
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